The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-03-10

Ruce SQch long residence gives man
especially man who takes lively in
terest In all the public affairs Of his
township and county. II seemed as
though John Bryan knew everybody,
and " known by everybody, while few
men possessed In so great degree the re-
spect and confidence Of so many people.
The stalwsrt form that used to walk our
streets we shall see no more. His hearty.
friendly greetings, that truthfully spoke
the honest feelings OF his heart, we shall
no more receive. he will be greatly
missed, not only by hls kindred and
most intimate friends and neighbOrs,
but by wide circle of acquaintances
with whom g had bu siness relations of
more or less importance. But hls mem
Ory will long be cherished and his name
be spoken with respect by those who
knew him 80 we'll and who held him In
such high esteem.
Mr.. Bryan was not an ordinary man
In the general Rcceptati0n OF that term.
His early educational advantages we're
of the most limited kind and yet he rosa
above these drawbacks and attained q
degree Of culture that many more
favored man never reaches. He was
not what may be called ready talker,
and yet he was very agreeable In conVer-
sati9l and more than ordinarily we'll
informed on the leading topics Of his
time. He was possessed of strong will
was good judge II human nature
easily approached but not easily I'm
posed upon. He was exact In all his
dealings, q man Of good sound judg.
ment In business matters; these,
with perhaps other and distinguished
characteristics, made him one of the sue
cessful business men Of his time. The
capital stock with which he commenced
business for himself was what every
young man may have II he will, tO-Wit:
Pluck, energy and perseverance. he
was neither ashamed or afraid to "lRc or
with his hands," ard thus, by the aid Of
his help-me0t who was In every sense his
"help-meet," he was enabled to accumu-
late quite large estate. For the last
sixteen years he has lived a retired life
at the village Of New Baltimore.
John Bryan was born In Carroll Co.,
Maryland, on August II, 1921. He was
the second son of Peter and Catharine
natthias) Bryan, his ancestors being Of
Scotch Irish descent, who In earlier times
wrote their name 0'BryRn.
In the spring of 1887 he with his pa
rents came to Stark county, and In the
fall Of the same year to Marlboro town.
ship, which continued to be his place Of
residence to the day of his death. In
1874 he was married to Hannah Young,
daughter Of Michael Young, an extensive Q
farmer Of the same neighbOrhoOd. The
fruits of this marriage are two sons,
Frank N. and Ira B., aud two daughters,
Harriet c. Nash and LuGetta P. DlXsOn,
all Of whom are living. One brother,
Henry, Of Fairfield, Green county, Ohio,
and one sister, Elizabeth SwartZ, Of
Marlboro, survive him. Mr.. Bryan was
a firm believer in Christianity, was a
member Of the Christian Church Of New
Baltimore for more than thirty years,
and was one Of Its elders until disabled
by sickness. He held numerous posi-
ti0ns Of trust during his life; he was
Justice Of the Peace from 1858 to 1854.
and very few Of the cases were taken
from his docket to higher court and
reversed. In politics he was a Demo
crst, and his opponents always found
him "a fOeman worthy Of their steel "
In the war Of the Rebellion he contrib
uted freely and literally Of his means
TO fill the quota Of Marlboro township,
and when the Governor called for help
at Cincinnati he was one Of the first TO
respond to the squirrel hunters call" /"
During the earlier years of his married
life he used to teach school during the
winters and when his own children were
of the proper age he gave them all q
good common school education and they
like their father became. teachers In
their turn.
1t cannot be amiss to direct attention
to some Of the great and marked changes
that have taken place In the worlds
progress during the life Of the man Of
whom we speak. 1t is great thing to
have been born In the early part of the
nineteenth century, for In no FIVE hun
dred years Of the worlds history has
there been made such wonderful pro-
gress as the last fifty years of this CEN
tury have witnessed. Can we believe 1t
that up to or two years Of the birth
Of John Bryan there was not an iron
plow In all the woridp" 1t was not till
this bey was nine years old that he could
have Travelled on railway passenger
train. He lived to see the time when
there were more than 100000 miles Of
railroads In the world. During the
first twelve years of his life, If by acci
dent the fire went out In his fathers
open fireplace resort Was had to the
tinder.bOx, or some member of the fami-
ly went to a neighbours to borrow fire.
The boy was young man Of seventeen
when the business world turned
kn ho nnooihIIlku oknoV,o
navigation between England and
and America. The year In which John
Bryan was married, 1874, he could have
seen the first telegraph dispatch ever
sent. Who can compute the number Of
miles Of telegraph lines in 1887? At
his birth slavery existed nearly all over
world. He lived to see 1t practically
abolished everywhere. OF the improve
ments and inventions In machinery Of
all kinds for the tightening Of labor and
increasing Its results-is 1t possible to
enumeTate them. We are lost In wonder
and establishment when we contemplate
the wonderful strides In the worlds
advancement during the life Of this one
man. Add to these the progress made
In the arts, science, education, the spread
Of gospel light and knowledge, and
language falls utterly to express what
has been done. Is 1t reasonable to sup
pose that the child born In 1887 can see
during life Of sixty-fiye years to come
as great advancement over the present
as the present sees over the past sixty.
five years? Let US hope that whatever
else the years to come may have In store
for humanity there may be no retro
grade from the exalted position 1t now